Tribal Council/Boards of Directors Roles & Responsibilities,12/14 – 12/16; $850

Serving on tribal councils or boards of directors require that members have a thorough understanding of the mission of the organization, their roles and responsibilities; and the laws that pertain to the tribe and organization. Members must have a good working knowledge of the tribal constitution, tribal ordinances, and basics of tribal governance. Members of boards of directors must have a good working knowledge of the organization’s charter and bylaws; and the rules of their funding agencies. Some tribes and organizations require that members receive an orientation on their roles & responsibilities as a requirement before taking office. Council and board members are constantly faced with legal and fiscal challenges. Council and board members must have a good understanding of the legislative processes. They must have a full understanding of the doctrines of tribal sovereignty; and how to protect the tribe’s sovereignty.

Course participants will receive hands-on training on constitutional principles, tribal governance, trust doctrines, federal appropriations laws, and laws that pertain to tribal nations and tribal organizations. Participants will learn how to separate politics from business, the doctrine of segregation of duties, development of policy, the legal implications of their decisions. They will learn the fundamentals of finance and accounting. This training will arm the participants with hands-on training that they can apply when they return to their home organizations.